Translucent letter



zmmm

March 231, 319% L. c. OWNBEY TRANSLUCENT LETTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1945 INVENTOR l/oya C Owflqy ATTORNEY March 21 195 0 L. c. OWNBEY gmmm TRANSLUCENT LETTER Filed July 17, 1945 4 Sh ts- 2 1 INVENTOR Z/oya C. Ownbgy @4oa% ATTORNEY Mamh Z231 L. c. QWNBEY 2 51 84L TRANSLUCENT LETTER Filed July 1'7, 1945 4- Sheeis-Sheet 3 INVENTGR Z/UyG/ L gil /9.58%

BY M

A'G'TORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT ONCE.

TRANSLUCENT LETTER Lloyd 0. Ownbey, Los Angeles, Caliii, assignor to Theatre Specialties, Incorporated, a corporation of California Application July 17, 1945, Serial No. 605,534

Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of application 547,619 filed August 1, 1944, now abandoned.

This invention relates to translucent letters of the type which may be used in front of an illuminated background, such as, for instance, the changeable letters on a theater marquee. On the marquee in front of moving picture theaters, it is common practice to display the name of the attraction. It is also common practice to advertise the players which are being starred in the performance now being given. The usual custom is to provide a background which is illuminated by electric lights behind the background, and in front of the background are letters which may be supported on horizontally extendin rods, channel members, or other means of support. The object of this invention is to provide a novel type of such display letters. Of course, the use of such letters is not confined to motion picture theaters, nor even to places of amusement, for obviously they may be employed wherever desired.

One of the important features of this invention is th provision of a translucent letter provided with a medial flange extending rearwardly from the face of the letter and generally provided with diverging flanges extending rearwardly from the face of the letter, the diverging flanges extending from the end of the medial flange to points on the edg of the letter, generally at a vertex.

Another object of the invention is to provide a translucent letter with medial and diverging rearwardly extending flanges so arranged as to give the impression of depth to the letter; that is, giving it a three dimensiona1 effect with the greatest thickness of the letter being along the medial flange. This is but another way of saying that the various parts or branches of the letter would appear to one viewing it as triangular prismoids. Obviously, the flanges obscure a certain amount of the light passing therethrough from the rear to the front, so that the outlines of the flanges appear darker on the face of the letter as compared with the remainder of the face of the letter. Broadly, therefore, the invention comprehends means to make certain portions of the letter darker in appearance than the remaining portions of the letter, the darkened portions bein caused by partially obscuring the light passing therethrough.

Various means may be employed to give the various parts or branches of the letter the appearance of being triangular prismoids. Broad- 1y speaking, this may be accomplished by other means than providing the medial flanges and diverging flanges extending rearwardly from the face of the letter. Such an effect can be secured by substituting any light absorbing means for the said flanges. For instance, a like visual effect would be given if the portion of the letter covered by the flanges heretofore suggested were covered by strips of paper or strips of any light absorbing means, such as painting or a stain of any kind. The illusion of each branch being a triangular prismoid is intensified by providing light obscuring means over a portion of the face of the letter so that the letter appears to be illuminated by light passing downwardly and to the right, so that the lower and right-hand portions of each branch appear to be darker than the upper and left-hand portions of the branch. This light contrasting effect may be secured by darkening the right-hand and lower portions of each branch by staining said portions or by making such portions corrugated or even making such portions an increased thickness.

Another object of the invention is to strengthen the letter by the provision of marginal flanges in addition to medial flanges, all of said flanges extending rearwardly from the face of the letter. In all cases the supporting means for the letter are carried by the flanges other than the marginal flanges, except that in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 no supporting means for the letters are shown.

The invention may be better understood by referring to the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of a marquee, including my improved type of letters,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are rear elevational views of the letters V, N and T respectively,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational View, partly in cross section, of a modified form of support and incorporating a cross-sectional view of the letter V on the line 66 of Fig. 3, v

Fig. '7 is a front elevational View of each of the translucent letters, showing the flanges projecting rearwardly therefrom,

Fig. 8 is a view of the letter E similar to the corresponding showing of the said letter in Fig. '7 but with the right-hand and lower portions of each branch provided with light obscuring means so that more light will pass through the upper and left-hand portions of the letter than 3 through the portions provided with the light obscuring means,

Fig. 9 is a rear elevational view of the letter shown in Fig. 8,

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view on the line |(l-l of Fig. 8 and showing the light obscuring means as consisting of an increased thickness of the material of the letter,

Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of light obscuring means consistin of triple corrugated surfaces, and

Fig. 12 is a modification of the letter shown in Fig. 9, but with light obscuring means in place of the internal ribs shown in Fig. 9 and with the light obscuring means to give substantially the same visual effect as accomplished with the use of the letter shown in Fig. 8.

It will be noted that my improved letters are of the block type. Unfortunately, I know of no words which define each of the parts of a letter. For instance, the letter F has a part extending vertically, and at the top it has a long arm or part projecting to the right, and below it there is another shorter arm or part projecting to the right. Through lack of a better term, I call the entire front of this letter its face, and each of these parts or arms I call a branch. For instance, the letter F would have a face consisting of a verticall extending branch and two laterally extending branches constituting the two arms above mentioned. The letter A would, therefore, have three branches. I consider that the letter B would have three branches; that is, a vertical branch and two semi-circular branches extending from the vertical branch. Perhaps the most diflicult letter to define would be the letter 0, but the upper half of the letter could be considered as one branch and the lower half as a second branch. The word branch is, therefore, used in this specification to mean one of the parts of a letter, such as, for instance, an arm, leg or other appropriate name. The marginal flanges, of course, are the rearwardly extending flanges running around the margin of the letters. Each of the letters, except the modification shown in Fig. 12, is also provided with a medial flange, and by this expression I mean a flange extending approximately midway between certain of the marginal flanges. The letters would appear to be thickest along the medial flange. The diverging flanges are the rearwardly extending flanges which extend from the ends of the medial flanges to the marginal flanges. The intermediate flanges are hereby defined as meaning the medial and the diverging flanges. Whenever the above terms are used throughout the specification and claims, they will be considered as having the meaning specified above.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2. the marquee I is provided with a rear wall 2, an upper wall 3, a lower wall 4 and a translucent front wall 5, through which passes light from the sources of illumination 5'. This translucent front wall 5 is composed of sections of translucent material 6 mounted in supports 1. A letter support, which may be of any desirable form, is also provided. As here shown by way of illustration, the letter support consists merely of a channel member 8, best shown in Fig. 6, so that a lower lug 9 of one of the letters shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 would project over the top of the channel member 8, while the upper lug ill of one of the letters would project upwardly behind a depending flange of the upper support. Obviously, the invention is not confined to using channel members to support the letter, for any form of support, such as rods or any other means, may be used.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slight modification in which stiffener rods ll might be employed to support the front wall, the said stiffener rods being provided with adjustable clamps l2.

In Fig. 3 I have shown, in detail, the rear view of the letter V. This letter consists of two branches l3 and M, the face of the two branches forming the outline of the letter V. Marginal flanges l5, l6, ll, l8, I9, 20 and 2i extend entirely around the margin of the letter V. A medial flange 22 extends along the rear face of the branch l3 for a portion of the length thereof, and is approximately midway between the marginal flanges l5 and I1. This medial flange 22 terminates at a point 23 near the upper end of the branch I3 and at a point 24 near the lower end thereof. From the point 23 diverging flanges 25 and 26 extend to the angles formed between the marginal flanges l5 and i6 and I1 and i6 respectively. In like manner the branch I 4 is provided with a medial flange 21 and diverging flanges 28 and 29 respectively. A diverging flange 38 extends from the vertex formed between the marginal flanges l1 and I8 and the vertex formed between marginal flanges 20 and 2! respectively. A diverging flange 3| likewise extends from the meeting point of the marginal flanges I! and E8 to the meeting point of the flanges l5 and 2|. The medial flanges 2'1 and 22 extend to the diverging flanges 3G and 3| and from their meeting points a flange 32 extends, which flange is parallel to the marginal flange 2|. All of the said flanges, other than the marginal flanges, are intermediate flanges. It will be noted that the lugs 9 and H] are carried by the intermediate flanges, and in no case are they shown as carried by the marginal flanges.

Obviously, each letter is made up diii'erently. But all of the letters, except the modification shown in Fig. 12, have medial flanges, and all of the letters, with the exception of the letter O, and except the modification shown in Fig. 12 also have diverging flanges. All of the letters, except the modification shown in Fig. 12, have intermediate flanges. An inspection of Fig. '7 would show that all of the lugs forming the supporting means are carried by the intermediate flanges, and in no case are they shown as carried by the marginal flanges.

The three dimensional efl'ect of these letters is very marked when the letters are illuminated by light passing through them from the rear to the front. This may perhaps be more easily described in connection with the letter I, for the reason that the letter I is the most simple letter of the alphabet. As shown in Fig. '7, we see, in looking at the face of this letter, a medial flange 33 and diverging flanges 34, 35, 36 and 31 extending to the four corners of the branch forming the letter. The essential fact is that I have provided means to partially obscure the light passing through certain portions of the letter so that an observer sees the lines 33, 34, 35, 36 and 31 as relatively dark, as compared with the remainder of the face of the letter or, expressed differently, there is a light contrast between that portion of the letter formed by the lines 33, 34, 35, 36 and 3! and the remainder of the face of the letter. This letter, when viewed with a light behind it, seems to be thickest, or to extend out from the background the farthest along the line or flange 33, and it appears to slope downwardly from this medial flange'to the four marginal sides of the letter. Any letter, of course, has two dimensionslength and breadth, but the means to obscure partially light passing through certain portions of the letter give to my improved letter this effect of having a third dimension of depth so that the letter appears to be extending outwardly from the marginal walls thereof to the central portions of the letter.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modification in which I have retained the intermediate ribs and in addition I have provided means to partially obscure light passing through the right-hand and lower portions of each branch, the right-hand and lower portions being viewed from the front of the letter, as is shown in Fig. 8. This gives the effect of light coming from a source to the left of and above the letter so that the portions of each prong above and to the left of the intermediate flanges will appear brighter than the remainder 0f the letter. This means to partially obscure the light passing through the right-hand and lower portion ofeach branch may be any means which Will partially, but not entirely obstruct the passage of light therethrough. In Fig. 10 this means to partially obs-cure the light might be an additional plate 42, so that the light passing through the lower and right-hand portions of each branch will have to traverse a greater thickness of material than the light passing through the upper and left-hand portions of each branch. This is especially true when the letters are made up of translucent palstic material which is colored red, green or other suitable colors. Instead of providing additional plates 42, the lower portions might be of simply an increased thickness, which of course gives the same effect as providing plates which might be inserted. As shown in Fig. 11, this light contrasting means might be an inserted plate #3 provided with corrugations 44 and on opposite sides thereof, which corrugations tend to inter fere with the passage of light therethrough. I

The face surface 46 in front of the plate 43 might likewise be corrugated as shown in Fig. 11, so that the light passing through the lower portion of the cross-sectional part of Fig. 11 would be obscured to a much greater degree than the light passing through the upper portion thereof. If desired, the upper portion ll of the branches shown in Fig. 11 might likewise be corrugated, in which case not as much light would pass through the upper portion as there would be without the corrugations, but since we have more corrugations in the lower section of the branch than we have in the upper section, the light would be more obscured when passing through the lower portion of the branch than it would when passing through the upper portion thereof.

Of course, it is not absolutely essential that we have ribs at all. In Fig. 12 I have shown a modification in which there are no intermediate ribs, for in place of the ribs I have placed intermediate strips 48. These strips may be made by attaching any light obscuring material where th intermediate ribs, as shown in Fig. 8 for instance, would appear. They might be made by painting the intermediate portions corresponding to the outline of the ribs heretofore described or b the use of a light obscuring dye, or even the pasting of strips of paper, cloth, or other material which would partially absorb light along the medial and di verging portions corresponding to the ribs heretofore described. Also, instead of using the additional plates, such as 42 and 43 of Figs. 10 and 11 respectively, the corresponding portions of each branch might be stained as shown at 59 of Fig. 12, or by providing any means thereon to partially obscure the light passing through that portion of the letter so as to create a light contrasting effect resulting in each branch of the letter assuming a triangular prismoidal effect.

I have, therefore, provided a strong, easily constructed letter which gives the optical efiect of depth and which makes a most pleasing letter for use in the interchangeable Signs for advertising purposes, such as, for instance, on the marquee of a theater. The intermediate flanges, therefore, serve the functional advantage, together with the marginal flanges, of strengthening the letter and making it appear very substantial, but these flanges perform the additional function of mak ing a more beautiful letter and one which has the three dimensional effect which is most pleasing. Obviously, these letters can be made in a variety of colors. They can all be made of a. uniform size so as to flt on two adjacent supports, such as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1, or some of the letters can be made of a larger size so as to be supported by the upper and lower of three of the supporting members, as is shown in the lower portion of Fig. 1.

Attention is furthermore called to the fact that the medial flanges for each letter form a repetition of the same letter. For instance, take the letter L, in 7. It is composed of a vertically extending branch 38 and a horizontally extending branch 39, each of these branches hav ng sub stantial Width. The medial flanges ii? and ll also form the letter L, but the width of these media] flanges is, of course, very small. in comparison with the width of the branches 38 and 39. It is,

therefore. true that these medial flanges form a narrow outline of the letter; that is, narrow in the sense that the medial flanges are narrow in comparison with the width of the corresponding branches of the same letter.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A letter including a translucent flat face forming the outline of said letter, each branch of said letter having substantial length and breadth, a narrow flange positioned medially of each of said branches and projecting rearwardly from the faces thereof, said flanges forming narrow outline of the same letter and diverging flanges extending from the ends of said first-named flanges to the marginal edges of the face, said flanges giving an appearance of depth to the letter.

2. A letter including a translucent flat face,

each branch of said letter having substantial length and breadth, a narrow flange positioned medially of each of said branches and projecting rearwardly from the face, said medial flanges forming a narrow outline of the same letter, marginal flanges extending rearwardly from said letter and diverging flanges extending from the ends of the medial flanges to the meeting edges of the marginal flanges.

3. A letter including one or more branches forming an outline of said letter, each branch having a translucent flat face of substantial length and breadth, thereby forming a block letter, angles being formed at the vertices of intersecting boundary lines of said letter, medial flanges ex tending rearwardly from the face of said letter and of the same general shape as the letter, except that the width of the flange is narrow as compared with the width of each branch, and flanges extending angularly from the ends of the medial flanges to the adjacent angles to give,

7 the appearance of depth to the face of the letter.

4. A letter including one or more branches forming an outline of said letter, each branch having a translucent flat face of substantial length and breadth, thereby forming a block letter, angles being formed at the vertices of intersecting boundary lines of said letter, medial flanges extending rearwardly from the face of said letter and of the same general shape as the letter and shorter than the branches, except that the width of the flange is narrow as compared with the width of each branch, flanges extending from the ends of the medial flanges to the adjacent angles to give the appearance of depth to the letter, and marginal flanges extending rearwardly from said letter.

5. A letter including one or more branches forming an outline of said letter, each branch having a translucent face of substantial length and breadth, thereby forming a block letter, angles being formed at the vertices of intersecting boundary lines of said letter, medial flanges extending rearwardly from the face of said letter and of the same general shape as the letter, except that the width of the flange is narrow as compared with the width of each branch, flanges extending from the ends of the medial flanges to the adjacent angles to give the appearance of depth to the letter, marginal flanges extending rearwardly from said letter, and means carried by certain of said flanges whereby said letter may be supported.

6. A letter having a translucent flat face, a marginal flange extending rearwardly from said letter, a medial flange extending rearwardly from said face and forming a narrow outline of the said letter as formed by the face and diverging flanges extending from the ends of said medial flange to adjacent vertices of said marginal flanges.

7. A letter including a translucent face, a marginal flange extending transversely from the face, an intermediate flange extending a substantial distance transversely from the face, diverging flanges extending from the ends of the intermediate flanges to the edges of the face, said flanges being viewable through the face of the said letter and supporting means for the letter carried by the intermediate flange.

8. A translucent flat face letter including one or more branches forming the outline of the letter, each branch being translucent and of substantial width, means applied to said branches along a medial line thereof at an elevation different from the elevation of the flat face adapted to form a line of contrasting translucency and forming the outline of the same letter, and similar means at an elevation corresponding to the elevation of said first means applied to the branches and extending angularly from the ends of each medial line toward the corners of its flat faces of the branches, whereby the branches, when light passes therethrough, will have the appearance of triangular prismoids.

9. A letter including one or more branches forming an outline of said letter, each branch having a translucent flat face of substantial length and breadth, thereby forming a block letter, angles being formed at the vertexes of intersecting boundary lines of said letter, means on the rear of said letter extending outwardly from the rear surface thereof and viewable through the letter adapted to create lines on the face of the letter, said lines extending medially of each branch of the letter and extending from the ends of the medially extending lines to the adjacent angles to give the branches the appearance of triangular prismoids.

10. A translucent letter including a pluralit of branches forming the outline of said letter, means adapted to partially obscure light passing through that part of the letter along the medial line of each branch, diverging light obscuring means extending from at least one end of said medial lines having a thickness greater than the thickness of the letter, and means extending over the part of each letter to the right of and below said light obscuring means so as to absorb a portion of the light passing therethrough.

11. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of uniform measurable width having a shape wherein opposite edges trace the outlines of a legible character, side portions of said strip in the direction of an assumed light source on one side of a central dividing line having a light transmitting quality different from side portions of said strip in a direction opposite said first direction on the other side of the central dividing line whereby contrast in the light transmitting quality of said side portions presents a shaded efiect when subject to transmission of light through said material.

12. A translucent sign device comprising a face member of translucent material in the form of a strip of measurable width extending in the shape of a legible character selected from a set of said characters, a medial flange between opposite side edges throughout the extent of said strip protruding laterally from one face thereof, portions of said strip on sides of the medial flange remote from an obliquely directed assumed light source in the plane of said strip having a light transmitting quality different from the light transmitting quality of portions of said strip on sides of the flanges facing said assumed light source whereby contrast between portions on opposite sides of the medial flange under the influence of transmitted light presents a three dimensional effect.

13. A translucent sign device comprising a face member of translucent material in the form of a strip of measurable width extending in the shape of a legible character selected from a set of said characters, an intermediate flange element between opposite side edges throughout the extent of said strip protruding outwardly from one face thereof, said intermediate flange element having angularly directed branches where free ends and corners of the character occur, portions of said strip on sides of the flange elements remote from an obliquely directed assumed light source in the plane of said strip having a light transmitting quality different from the light transmitting quality of portions of said strip on sides of the flange elements facing said assumed light source whereby contrast between portions on opposite sides of the flange elements under the influence of transmitted light presents a three dimensional effect.

14. A translucent sign device comprising a face member of translucent material in the form of a strip of measurable width extending in the shape of a legible character, flanges extending transversely from said strip defining side edges and a medial line for said strip, portions of said strip on sides of the flange forming said medial line remote from an angularly directed assumed light source having a light transmitting quality different from the light transmitting quality of portions of said strip on sides of said last named flange opposite to said first named portions productive of a three dimensional effect under influence of transmitted light.

15. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of measurable width having a shape tracing the form of a legible character, marginal lines on opposite sides of the strip defining the marginal edges thereof and an intermediate line between said marginal ing a degree of translucency in further contrast with the degrees of translucencies on opposite sides of the intermediate line.

16. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of measurable width having a shape tracing the outline of a legible character, a dividing line between side edges of said strip having a thickness diiferent from the thickness of adjacent side portions of the strip on opposite sides of said line, said side portions of the strip on the side of said dividing line in the direction of an assumed light source having a light transmitting quality different from side portions of said strip on the side of said dividing line away from the direction of said assumed light source whereby contrast in the light transmitting quality of said side portions presents a shaded effect when subject to transmission of light through said material.

17. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of measurable width having a shape tracing the outline of a legible character, a dividing line between side edges of said strip greater in thickness than adjacent side portions of the strip on opposite sides of said line, said side portions of the strip on the side of said dividing line in the direction of an assumed light source having a light transmitting quality different from side portions of said strip on the side of said dividing line away from the direction of said assumed light source whereby contrast in the light transmitting quality of said side portions presents a shaded effect when subject to transmission of light through said material.

18. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of measurable width having a shape tracing the outline of a legible character, means formin a dividing line between. opposite side edges of the strip on one face thereof at a difierent elevation with respect to adjoining portions of said one face separating said strip into side portions, and continuous flanges extending transversely respectively from the outermost and from the innermost edges of the strip, said side portions between the side of the line facing an assumed light source and adjacent flange portions having a light transmitting quality different from side portions of said strip between the side of said dividing line facing away from said assumed light source and adjacent flange portions whereby contrast in the light transmitting quality of said side portions presents a shaded effect when subject to transmission of light through said material.

19. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of measurable width having a shape tracing the outline of a legible character having at least one corner in the outline thereof, side portions of said strip facing the direction of an assumed light source having a light transmitting quality different from the light transmitting quality of side portions of said strip facing away from said assumed light source whereby contrast in the light transmitting quality of said side portions presents a shaded effect when subject to transmission of light through said material, and means forming at least one line of demarcation extending inwardly from a point adjacent that corner wherein the light transmitting quality of the strip is the same on both sides of the corner.

20. A translucent sign device comprising a strip of translucent material of measurable Width having a shape tracing the outline of a legible character, said character having branches terminating in free ends including corners at side edges of said free ends, side portions of said strip in the direction of an assumed light source having a light transmitting quality different from the light transmitting quality of side portions of said strip away from said assumed light source whereby contrast in the light transmitting quality of said side portions presents a shaded effect when subject to transmission of light through said material and means forming lines of demarcation extending inwardly from points adjacent those corners of the character where the light transmitting quality is the same on both sides of the corner.

LLOYD C. OWNBEY.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 513,282 Rodwell -1 Jan. 23, 1894 570,313 Lake Oct. 27, 1896 661,421 Peschmann Nov. 6, 1900 803,750 Frey Nov. 7, 1905 865,255 Kelley Sept. 3, 1907 878,758 Wiley Feb. 11, 1908 911,915 Stoll Feb. 9, 1909 962,630 Francis June 28, 1910 1,373,167 Brooks 1- Mar. 29, 1921 1,504,112 Faulkner Aug. 5, 1924 2,032,895 Slutsk Mar. 3, 1936 2,106,331 Smith Jan. 25, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,265 Great Britain July 23, 1914 of 1913 

